Nettle and Bones is built like a dark Fairytale. Marra has lost her oldest sister as she was a kid and her second sister has been sent to marry the same man as a diplomatic marriage between 2 neighbouring countries.
Marra is sent to a covent to make sure she dooesnt produce an heir to her country before her sister does, and... as a back up to her sister. This man seems to not be taking good care of his wifes, and Marra deciees to go and save her sister. To do so she has to cross several lands and she will meet different persons (and animals) along the way.
This was dark but lovely! Such a great story, T.Kingfisher did a great job once more.
I was given a free copy of this e-book by NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I've tried to read this twice, and unfortunately I just cannot get into the writing style. The premise itself sound amazing, updating the common fairy tale trope of the damsel in distress to a woman who can save herself and her sisters. Add in a plucky chicken sidekick, and I genuinely thought I would love this. But something just isn't engaging me,and aside from the writing (which is definitely a bit too flowery for me) I think it might also be the pacing. For such a short book it takes a long time to get going. Longer than the 100+ pages I read before giving up anyway.

I'm gutted this didn't work for me, but I know so many readers will love this.

I wanted to love this one so much and I attempted it numerous times but just could not get into it at all.

I'm definitely in the minority when it comes to this book as everyone seems to have loved it.

Honestly so gutted.

"you came to me in your cloak of nettles with the dog made of bones at your side" if this line doesn't make you want to read this book then don't listen to me JUST READ THIS BOOK. It was perfect. It was a dark fairytale. It was filled with passion. It has 2 comedy sidekicks who adore the MC. It has a devoted dog pieced together with dog bones and wire. It has a wholesome (straight) romance. It has goodies and baddies. And for some reason it REALLY does have a possessed chicken.
Marra forms a merry band to rescue her sister from a tyrannical prince who she has married is the basic premise but it's still 1001 times more than that. My only regret....I wish I could have sat down and read this book in one sitting and not in dribbles over 2 work days

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Marra has been living in a convent for the last fifteen years of her life, waiting for the day she is needed to save her sister. The younger princess of a small kingdom, she has been kept in reserve as the wife of a wicked prince, who caused the death of her eldest sister, and is currently married to, and abusing, her middle sister. Enough is enough, and now Marra is strong enough to seek out the assistance of a gravewitch, and discover her own powers to stop the prince once and for all.

Well, I had really high hopes for this one, and am disappointed. First of all, I really thought this was YA, but it clearly isn't when the MC is in her thirties. I don't know if I've been looking at a different book or whatnot, but this was not what I was expecting. I liked the premise of the story, and the way that Marra definitely grew stronger the further into the book we got. However, I just was never really hooked. I could've put the book down a number of times and wouldn't really have been too fussed about returning to it if not to clear my NG backlog. The ending was worth pushing through, I guess, but I don't think I'll be returning to this author any time soon.

This book could have been the one. But it just missed.

Adult, but reads more as YA. I love the dust-wife, bonedog, the humans - but I just yearned for something more that I didn’t get.

This is your good fantasy. Your typical, slightly magic (goblins and the like) on a journey with found friends, a new family.

I loved that I did and the writing I have no qualms with at all. I just wanted more. More darkness, spookiness, adult - anything to give this read less of a YA feel.

Will forever read by this author and hopefully find a favourite from them.

Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher is a tale spun in magic. It is the first time that I am reading something by the author. The book is of medium length. The positive points are that the plot sparks up from the beginning and the climax is a bit interesting. The characters are strong, magical and confident. The story focusses on women who are just puppets in the name of saving the empire. But, our protagonist, Marra understands that she is not like others and takes her own stand. The only negative point is that in the middle the plot loses its way and becomes a little bit boring. But, the climax saves the book.

I would like to give 4 stars to the book. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

I love discovering a new author. New to me specifically. Or even more so, an author I’ve had on my radar for a while and I discover on reading their books that I was right about them. Now you all know I love a good retelling or fairy tale. I also really love the work of Robin McKinley. When I tell you this book satisfied both those interests of mine, you best be interested!

Nettle and Bone is a book I was really anticipating this year. Pretty much since I read Kingfisher’s Beauty and the Beast retelling, Bryony and Roses. But also just from the description of a chicken with a demon in it, a grave witch and a princess who wanted to murder a prince for hurting her sisters. Feels almost like it was written for me?

We start off in a pit full of bones with Marra, as she begins to make a dog out of bones and wire. She’s been given three tasks, to make a cloak of nettles (that she now wears), animate a dog made of bones and catch moonlight in a jar. All tasks given to her by a grave witch, called the Dust Wife, who will in turn help her kill a prince. The prince her sister married specifically. That’s just about all you need to know.

This is a great example of world building being effortless when the smaller details are let flourish without too much explanation. Marra and the Dust Wife set off on their journey and the world just falls into place around them. They visit the dead, a goblin market and a town where nuns are feared, among many others. There’s not a part of the journey I couldn’t see properly in my head, even the parts where Marra is reflecting on the past or her time in her convent. Where she was an almost nun, in her own words. I can vividly see the plague stricken parts of the world, the palace where her sister lived, the market with it’s myriad of peoples. It’s just so immersive and hard to believe the book is short for the content it has.

Marra as well, an absolute revelation. She’s 30 for a start and just from some of her interactions with Fenris, the Knight who joins them along the way, I felt a strong connection to how she was written. As someone who is ace myself, there was a lot of Marra that felt written to be slightly coded as asexual? I might be totally wrong but I saw that part of myself in her. As well as us being the same age I had such a time of feeling every bit of rage and overwhelming dread she experienced at various points. Her fierce love for her sisters especially is a dynamic I enjoy in fantasy anyway but it especially impressed me here.

Story and pacing wise, this is absolutely a fairy tale. But it balances that with humor so well! I often find if you include humor in anything like this book you can very quickly dissolve into a parody. Which is fine if that is what you are going for, think Rat Queens or even Shrek. But when it’s not it’s honestly draining. This balance is very good. Especially when it comes to Marra’s struggle with the task at hand. She’s planning to murder a prince, her sister is in danger. She’s travelling with a band of randomers and is relying on them to do that murder. Sometimes to cope, you just have to laugh. The same was in the other T.Kingfisher I read earlier this year, Bryony and Roses. So I did enjoy it in this as well.

At it’s heart I feel this story does talk a lot about family, more in the ‘found’ way than biological. I mean I know Marra is pretty much motivated by saving her sister to take the journey she is making. But a lot of the book felt like her getting to the point with her company of realising you can love and protect family but they need to treat you well too. She’s a princess, her sister dies and she will likely be married off to the same prince. Her mother confirms this and while she understands it’s a place of being in charge of a kingdom that motivates it, she’s clearly not safe. She isn’t accepted outright as Marra, she’s looked as a potential bride in reserve. The dust wife, Bonedog, Fenris and even the demon chicken don’t. She is safe with them. That I think is gonna stick with me.

Overall, this is a favourite of the year. For sure. I might even struggle picking which T.Kingfisher is at one stage. This is a huge must read if you like Robin Mckinley as well. I would never steer a fan of her wrong. Thanks for checking in guys and to Titan for the digital ARC of Nettle and Bone, happy re

This was exactly what I was hoping it would be – a dark and unapologetic fairy tale, with lovely characters, entertaining dialogue, and, you know, a demonic chicken. While the stakes are grim, I love the world created here, the magic system, and the interactions of our little band just lightened everything. From the opening paragraphs, but even onto the bits of the story that are made up of smaller moments, I was kept intrigued and reading on. I have only read T. Kingfisher’s horror books so far, but this is just as enjoyable, and I hope she will continue to add to this part of her repertoire! Also, Bonedog has my whole heart, as was fated from the moment I realized what Marra was doing.

I stuck with it but ultimately It’s couldn’t engage with the characters and there was no proper world building… the story felt driven by coincidence rather than narrative structure

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second T Kingfisher book, and I went in with high hopes, which were definitely exceeded. This was the perfect balm for my life. It is funny, it is sweet and it is a fantasy tale pretty much like no other.

Firstly, I adore found family, and this has that in droves, and even better we get to see how they become that way. Every character ends up as someone you just want to hug and give blankets and hot drinks to XD

Marra is a wonderful Princess, she's been sheltered from some of the cruelties of the world, but also not pampered and is more than willing to go on a quest to save her sister. Add in a demon chicken and a dog made of bones and pure determination and you have a winner.

I do love a quest book, and this is the best sort. Marra really has to work for it, and doesn't have super special powers / chosen one vibes to help her along.

All this and a sweet side character romance, and this was an easy 5 star read. Highly recommended.

trigger warning
<spoiler> grief, domestic violence, torture, slavery, mention of miscarriage </spoiler>

If Marra can complete three impossible tasks, the witch will help her kill the prince who is tormenting her one sister left - the other was the first to marry that monster and didn't survive.

In contrast to fairytales, we join in when the three impossible tasks are done and Marra gets her wish: Help in killing the prince. Because magic is not what we'd like it to be, they still have to travel to the kingdom in question to reach their intended victim, and on the way, they gather more help.

This book feels messy like reality. When the dust-wive gathers her things to travel, she asks her neighbors to mind the chickens and stuff, but one chicken has to join them on their journey, because it has a demon inside of it and it would not be fair to the neighbors to have to deal with <i>that</i>. So they have a demon-chicken with them and breakfast on demon-chicken eggs.

Marra might be autistic. It's not explicitly mentioned, but her behaviour fits in how she reacts in social situations. Due to politics she grew up in a convent, and was content there. She had her one friend, she had her place, and her work she grew quite good at. Marra is into embroidery, which is both suitable for royality and of practical value.
If she had not felt compelled to save her remaining sister, nothing would have changed for her.

We have a maybe romance, which is the best kind. Characters develop feelings, but other things are more important right now because it's life or death for at least someone. We see how the feelings for each other change, but there is no kissing, no sex-subplot, and the reader is left to imagine their own part.

Listen, this I believe the third book I read by this author and I am not going to stop. They solidly deliver great stories with great characters. I want more, full recommendations.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

A compelling fantasy story that I had a very nice time reading, this was my first T.Kingfisher and I’ve got to say what a great start and introduction to their work. Really enjoyable,fast read and it filled that fantasy genre hole

Nettle & Bone was my first T. Kingfisher book but now I'm sure it won't be my last. This incredibly original, captivating, funny book completely captured me from the very first page and was easily one of the best books I've read so far this year.

Marra is a third daughter, sent to live in a convent while her older sisters marry a prince. The simple convent life is one that perfectly suits Marra, who profoundly dislikes court life and struggles to keep up with the intrigue and politics, until she realises that her sisters have been suffering abuse at the hands of the prince for years and no one seems intent on doing anything about this. Which clearly leaves only one option: the prince must die, and Marra will kill him.

This is the start of a fantastical journey across kingdoms to find a way to kill a prince as Marra seeks out a powerful Dust Wife (I'll leave you with the pleasure of discovering who she is) and completes three impossible tasks to convince her to help. What follows is a weird and wonderful quest, accompanied by a motley crew including a dashing fallen knight, a reluctant fairy godmother and a hen possessed by a demon.

I adored every minute of this, so much so that I read most of it in a single sitting, and didn't manage to get through the whole thing in one go for reasons entirely out of my control and will. Nettle & Bone delivers all the classic tropes of a Fantastic Quest in such an original way that it feels like reading something completely new and like meeting an old friend at the same time. There is found family and a delicious slow-burn budding relationship that I was definitely on board with. I can easily see this becoming a new comfort book!

I loved the characters and the settings. Both felt extremely vivid and the worldbuilding worked perfectly, clear enough without ever overtaking the main narrative. Each character felt really unique, with many layers to their personality, and I loved seeing them all slowly unveiled. There are references to serious themes as well (for example, partner abuse is a rather prominent one), included seamlessly and handled with great care and tact. The whole thing is covered in a generous layer of humour like icing on the cake in a way that reminded me a lot of The Princess Bride, incidentally another book I loved (and one of my all-time favourite films!).

Overall, this was a delightful read, pure pleasure from the first page to the last. A must-read for this year!

Nettle and Bone is one of the most hilarious fantasy books I’ve read in a while. I’ve rarely chuckled out loud this much while reading and let me tell you, it was delightful! I was surprised by the amount of humour in it because the main character Marra is out to kill the prince who has been abusing and killing her sisters for decades. Despite its darker plotline, there are many light moments, especially when it comes to a certain chicken possessed by a demon.

In general, the characters are exactly my kind of weird and whimsical and I loved the writing style! It’s hard to describe what exactly makes it so fun to read, but I think if the idea of a dog made of bones and a possessed chicken is at all intriguing to you, you’ll enjoy this book. There is a warm comfort to all these quirky characters, they are so full of heart that it’s impossible not to fall in love with them a little. To me, this helped balance out some of the more stressful parts of the plot. They’re truly an unlikely group of people, but everyone has their reason for being there.

At its core, Nettle and Bone is an adventure story with a full-on quest. But it also feels like a fantasy heist movie with all its charm and ridiculous plans. Throughout the book, I loved trying to guess what would happen next. Nettle and Bone really kept me on the edge of my seat with everything that was going on!

My one gripe is that I did have some issues with the pacing and some timeline jumps. The plot jumps back and forth between different parts of Marra’s story and especially in the beginning it was harder to follow than I would’ve liked. Fundamentally, I love the time jump but I feel like they could’ve been arranged in a better way to be less confusing.

She doesn’t want to marry the prince, she wants to kill him…
I’ve never read a book quite like this before, where a dark fairytale horror story is at once creepy and charming, when I could go from chuckling at the dry wit of the characters to horrified by a curse child (no spoilers but that puppet would keep anyone up at night…).
I loved all of the characters, Marra was relatable and well meaning as she tried to puzzle out a confusing magical world and kingdom politics. I adored the dust wife, Agnes and Fenris (and all assorted pets, both bone and feathered)
I’d definitely recommend it to my friends as I’ve never been so terrified yet utterly delighted with a book before!
Huge thanks to the author, T. Kingfisher and publisher, Titan books, for this advance review copy. Views my own. 5*

A fairy tale where the princess fails to marry the prince.
Marra is the third daughter of the rulers of a small kingdom. Her eldest sister marries the prince of the neighbouring much larger kingdom, but sadly dies. So her next sister, Kania, is dispatched to marry the same prince and gives birth to a girl. But that girl dies, and it is at the funeral that Marra finds out that all is not well with the marriage. Kania is being abused, and it is likely that the eldest sister was killed by the prince. Marra has been in a convent for 15 years, not officially a nun (in case she is required for marriage) but living a secluded life, happy with her needlecraft and helping the Sister Apothecary with her work.
She is an unlikely heroine to rescue her sister, but she sets out to do what she can. Along the way she meets a caustic dust-with, who is able to speak to the dead, and carries with her a chicken inhabited by a demon. With this help she rescues a warrior who has been kept captive by the fae, and then travels to meet her fairy godmother, who is more than she seems. She also has a dog made out of bones. Will this motley crew be enough to save her sister?
This was a really entertaining book to read. It takes fairy tales and tropes and gives them a new twist. Marra is an endearing heroine as she doubts herself all the time but forces herself to keep going, all for a sister who she didn′t even like much when she was a child. The quips between all the characters are great fund, and the silent commentary from the demon chicken is hilarious. In fact the chickens are some of the best and most accurate character portrayals for anyone who knows chickens.

It′s a standalone book, although the characters could go off on other adventures, and was a fun read, and one that I could easily read again in the future.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

I very much enjoyed this book! It was the perfect mix of funny, sad, exciting and creepy! Thank you so much for the digital copy!

As with all stories from T Kingfisher you are in for a treat. I did initally make a slow start but once I gained momentum I loved the storytelling with the strong fairytale influences presented with a twist in the tale.
Marra is the third princess of a strategically important but small harbour kingdom. Her eldest sister Damia is married to Prince Vorling to cement an alliance to protect the kingdom, however this ends in tragedy as Damia dies in a fall. Undeterred Vorling marries Marra's second sister Kania and Marra is sent to seclusion in a convent where she lives until her 30s living an unassuming and peaceful life. This all changes when she is called to visit her sister who is about to give birth and once there she discovers that Kania's life has not all been roses with the Prince - a man who loves control and uses abuse to maintain this.
The revelation of her sisters abuse at the hands of Vorling leads Marra on a quest to right this situation. Leading first to the Dustwich, performing three impossible tasks including creating an animated bone dog and weaving with nettles, next to a steadfast, honorable but disgraced knight and finally to a flight godmother who is not so great with wishes but excels at curses.
A glorious tale and one I recommend = my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC, all opinions are my own.

The description of Nettle and Bone definitely intrigued me and I wasn't let down at all. This was the first book I have read by Kingfisher and I adored the different fairytales all in one place. I loved the world and how the characters moved around it. The characters were well developed and I liked the way they interacted with each other.